MENASHA – A broken hinge on the busiest lock on the Fox River combined with less than favorable boating conditions are making a noticeable impact in Menasha.

A gate hinge broke on the Menasha lock June 27 and was closed until July 3 for repairs. The same lock hinge broke about 12 hours later, and the lock has been closed ever since. The lock connects Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte des Morts.

The lock had 1,412 lockages in 2013, according to the Fox River Navigational System Authority, which oversees operation of the locks and dams on the Fox River system. The lockages included 1,950 vessels that carried 8,314 passengers.

"The weather has not been particularly good for boating. The winds have been so high, and overall it has not been a good boating year," Schabach said.

With the lock under repair, Schabach noticed a lack of pontoon boats that normally cruise to Menasha for lunch. On the flip side, boats in the Menasha marina can't travel north.

The lock repairs also impacted the annual Park-to-Park Paddle on July 19, forcing participants to carry their kayaks and canoes around the inoperable lock.

Robert Stark, chief operating officer for the Authority, said officials must get replacement parts for the hinge, which will take several weeks. Once replacement parts arrive, the lock will be operable in seven to 10 days, Stark said.

Schabach said she understands that equipment breaks, but she hopes the repairs are done with care.

"It's important that they evaluate what they have there and when it's done, it's done right. … It's one of those things that just happens. It's a shame it happened now, but it did," she said.

The Fox River Navigational System Authority was created to oversee the management of the Fox River locks after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transferred responsibility for the system to the state. The primary mission of the authority — which operates as a nine-member board — is to repair, rehabilitate, operate and maintain the locks system. Six of the nine board members are appointed by the governor. Two each come from Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago counties. The others are designees of the secretaries of Natural Resources (one) and Transportation (two) departments as well as the director of the State Historical Society. To learn more, visit foxriverlocks.org.